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Listings for Sunday , August 11

12:00PM - 1:00PM Crop Circle Controversy

In the 1980s, a series of strange formations started showing up in the farms of southern England. "Crop circles"--uniformly flattened patterns in fields---attracted the attention of the Queen, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher, and even Led Zeppelin! Paranormalists speculated that they were evidence of UFO landings or occult activity. Then, in 1991, two men came forward to say it was all a hoax, that they had invented crop circles back in the `70s. One even demonstrated his technique for TV cameras.

But, as the CROP CIRCLE CONTROVERSY shows, this revelation did not end the speculation. For one, there are documented incidents of the circles showing up in fields all over the world--some simultaneously in different countries. For another, the circles have appeared throughout history: in the Middle Ages they were called "witches' circles" or "pixie circles" and a 1678 circle is pictured in a woodcut known as the "Mowing Devil."

Today, it is widely accepted that many formations are manmade. But others resist attempts to explain them by conventional means. Crop circles remain, in large part, a mystery.

We explore the mystery. TV G

I caught the other one on TLC:

Network: The Learning Channel
Series: Crop Circles: In Search of a Sign
Episode: Crop Circles: In Search of a Sign
On Air: Dates & Times
For twenty years, crop circles appeared with increasing frequency in crops around the world. Hoaxers stepped forward, but how could they create so many complex circles? Follow scientists, astronomers, and archaeologists as they examine crop circles.

TLC
Aug 10 2002
3:00 PM
Crop Circles: In Search of a Sign

Inspite of what the blurb says this was leaned heavily towards the "mystic" explaination (well it spent time on mostof the odd ball explanations). They talked to a hoaxer (as well as Doug and Dave) who refuses to take credit (says the mystery is part of the art) and claims to have been buzzed by lights while making circles. All of the people were a little strange IMHO.

I saw the Crop Circle Controversy program on the History Channel yesterday.

There were a few things from the show that I took note of:

1. Evidence of pre-1978 crop circles was presented. This is the time before Doug and Dave began hoaxing circles. The most interesting things about these older circles was that they were very simple, and had been discovered in places where UFOs had recently been sighted.

2. Crop circles were found all over the world, not just in Great Britain, during the time Doug and Dave claimed to be hoaxing crop circles.

3. Magaret Thatcher (one of my favorite people) ordered a military investigation of crop circles. The British government must have thought that the issue of crop circles was serious enough to warrant an investigation. Since the investigation was to be done by the British military, I would guess that national security implications were a factor.

4. Crop circles were found on the property of Prince Charles, and therefore the royal family. One would think that security at royal owned land would be at a high level and therefore make it more difficult for hoaxers to trespass.

5. One of the world's leading crop circle researchers (I believe Colin Andrews is his name) said that in all of his years of study, 80% of all crop circles could be explained as hoaxes. He said that the remaining 20% of crop circles were still unexplained.

Overall the show was interesting and thanks again to Momaw Nadon for posting the airdate and channel of the program.